Light Up Your Life with Best Buy Smart Home

Last week I went to the National Home Show as a guest of Best Buy Canada to check out smart home accessories. After CES and the Interior Design Show this year I’ve become obsessed with making our home more efficient with smart things. Upgrading appliances in your space can help save energy (thermostats/appliances), make things more comfortable (lighting), and keep you safe (security camera). For the National Home Show, Best Buy partnered with designer Christine Dovey to design a fully stocked smart home pop-up where you could see all kinds ways to pimp your place with technology. I left dreaming about new appliances for the whole house complete with a super skinny & smart Samsung QLED tv. I was obsessed with the Samsung ‘Family Hub’ fridge, this thing is totally from THE FUTURE. It’s got a wifi touchscreen and three inside cameras that take a photo every time the fridge closes. Then, you can check your phone to see what’s inside, it also knows what’s inside, it make recipes, it can track expiration dates. Kinda hard to wrap the old brain around! I LOVE THE FUTURE. My friend was telling me about how they recently got a new smart AV system from Crestron System and I think she is as much in love with the future as I am! When I was at CES in Vegas this year, one of the award winning new products was the Nanoleaf Aurora light panel.All the lights connect to my iPhone and can change a zillion colours and different shades of white (warm vs cool). I was so excited to order this for our house! I would love to say I went for the cool lights knowing Emily (9) would love them but they were totally for me too. We had guests over this…

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Make Yourself Happy. Do What You Love. #stickwithit17

The last couple weeks I’ve been on a journey of making my self happy, practising what I preach, making the most of each day, and following things that give me joy. I can tell you from the bottom of my heart, it has made a big difference. The last couple months of 2016 I was totally drained, didn’t feel creative, felt a bit lost like ‘what am I doing and why‘. So, I made a change. I started putting  myself first and really doing WHAT I WANT. It’s easy to get side tracked from your goals, over worked, under stimulated. The thing is, you can totally turn that around any singe day, at any time. You’re in control of your happiness. You’re the director of the movie that is your life. You always have a choice. Years ago (2008-09) when I wanted people to remember me and my blog I made these little stickers on white Avery labels after work (at an IT company). I didn’t have $$ for real stickers, so I had to be creative. They had a strip of photos I took of myself (now called selfies) and my Twitter @casiestewart with my URL casiestewart.com. While most people will take your business card and never follow up, this is not the case with stickers. I found that people would go to my blog the day after a fun party where I stuck my sticker on them, their sweater, conference badge, and leave a comment, or tweet me it was nice to meet. The first round of ACTUAL real stickers I made were from StickerYou when a friend worked there. They were heart shaped photos of me with a painting in the background and my Twitter handle. This month I was invited to create a Mantra Box of stickers to keep me…

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Doing it for yourself. 

Been doing heaps of things around the house. This was my winter plan and I’m totally putting it into action. Got a new desk this weekend and my boudoir/office room really coming along! It’s a lot of work changing rooms around. We’ve got lots more to do on the house but it’s coming together. Last weekend we got a beautiful new kitchen faucet. Being grown up is pretty great. Getting excited about a new faucet may seem lame to some but to the elite it is perfect! I always worry about new things being put in just in case it’s not done correctly, but I do know that I can call people like the Portland plumbers Sarkinen Plumbing to come and sort stuff out… just in case (always prepared!)   Purchased a 3mo pass for YogaYoga near my house and I am SO LOVING IT. I really want to get in shape and after a week I really feel stronger. It’s nice to feel my body move like that again. I can’t wait for spring an dI’m staying home until it gets warm! You’ll never be younger than you are today so go out and make the most of it.

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Do What You Want. This Is Your Year.

Earlier this month, I was in LA and it was the first time in a long time, since I went on a trip without an itinerary. It was so freeing to be on my own, open road, and do whatever want. On my first night I went to a sound bath + breath workshop. I made a new friend in Vegas who invited me to go that night and even though I didn’t know what it really was, I went. It was really great. It’s important to step out of your comfort zone. You have to open yourself to new experiences in order to let the light in.  I feel like the experience changed me a bit. That night I set an intention for the week of my trip and I carried those thoughts around. I’m still carrying them tbh! I feel calmer, more focussed. ?? This photo was me picking up my rental car from the airport. I picked a car I really wanted to drive. [Mini Convertable via Turo, they gave me a couple credits to go towards it!]  LA is so huge and it’s always rush hour so why not make the most of it? I was driving Hollywood Blvd. when I saw a vintage store and a meat pie shop. I love both those things and was hungry. Made my next left, parked, and gave mum a ring. We chatted on the phone for 45min while I scrolled racks talking about life and random things I saw. It made me feel so free. I had nowhere to be and nothing to do and I was hanging out in Hollywood, honeyyyyyy. I got a meat pie after that and stared out the window watching people walk by. It’s not very glamorous but it was totally stress free and just…

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Doing My First Spin Class Today! ? #SpinInYourSkin in Support of CAMH

It’s a rainy day and I’ve been working from my bed office. It’s just so warm and cozy! I recently made some big changes to our loft bedroom upstairs where I do most of my work. I’ve got the Y&R on my iPad Pro and I’m typing away on that great little table I made (this one). I’m leaving any minute now  to a shoot at Spokehaus for their #spininyourskin class in partnership with knixwear. They’re hosting a first-ever class focused on body positivity, while giving back. A photo posted by Elly Mayday (@ellymaydayofficialfanpage) on Jan 14, 2017 at 11:29pm PST Anyone who choses to #Spininyourskin (aka your knixwear bra & undies, ah!) multiple undergarments will be donated to CAMH Foundation (Center for Addiction and Mental Health). They’re really in need of  bras for incoming patients so if exercise with a bunch of rad babes can help them out, I’m down. Also gets me out of the house for a good sweat! They’ll still donate a bra if you do the class in your clothes. It’s hosted by model and body-positivity spokesperson Elly Mayday.  There are more classes tonight if you want to sign up. Knixwear is hooking us up with boy shorts and a sports bra and we are going to spin in our skin. The thing is I’ve never actually done a spinning class and I’m a little worried I might PUKE. I’m kinda NERVOUS ABOUT THIS OMG WHAT AM I DOING. I feel more confident about my body since my surgery this summer. Before the new boobs, wearing a sports bra, or any bra was uncomfortable, not to mention how much I hated working out with those things. I’m going into this workout with an open heart and maybe, just maybe, I’ll like it?! UPDATE NEXT DAY: I loved the class. It was so intense! I…

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NEW YEAR, NEW YOU! 

Did you have a nice time over the holidays? I did! I took a break from blogging and IG to recharge my batteries and I feel so alive! It might help that yesterday I went for a b12 shot and IV of vitamins at REVIV. In 2017 I am excited to focus on doing great work, telling stories about tech, and helping others. As I was driving yesterday the sun was going down and it was so bright and beautiful I stopped to catch it lighting up my face. Over the holidays I did a couple volunteer shifts for different charities including cooking & serving lunch at Evangel Hall on New Years Eve w/ the #GivingBackVibes crew. [We did this last month too, see here.] I fulfilled my dream of wrapping presents at the mall before christmas w/ Nneka Elliot at TD centre in support of StepStones For Youth. The day before I volunteered to help sort clothes with the NuScreen Digital team at Brands for Canada. I feel so good that I was able to give some of my time to help others. You’re going to see more of this in 2017. Volunteering w/ @nuscreeninc at @BrandsForCanada! ?✌?? pic.twitter.com/b3C10jtwHK — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) December 21, 2016 I went home between Christmas and New Years to spend some quality time with my parents. Set both mum and dad up with new tech gadgets and had lots of laughs over great food. They’re only an hour away so this year I want to spend more time hanging out. Today was a really fun day. ❤ pic.twitter.com/P10zek09Nv — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) December 30, 2016 On New Years Eve, Sean and I went to Ikea to get some organizing stuff and things for Em’s room.  We watched the Minimalism doc on Netflix a couple…

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Winners of The 48 Giveaway – See You at The Office!

It’s time! I feel like it’s time to grace the world with some good news and great views. The winners of The 48 office space giveaway are announced below. I’ll be reaching out to a few more of you to join me at the offices for a tour and toast in the next few weeks. The 48 Office Suite Giveaway – Winners Grand Prize Winner: Cara Rice – 6 months mailbox – 8 hours in executive suite – Invite to cocktail event with +1 2nd place: Martin Rubio – 4 hours in executive suite – 6 month executive mailbox – Invite to cocktail event with +1 3rd place: Michael Brassel – 2 hours in one of the smaller offices – 6 month executive mailbox – Invite to cocktail event with +1 Runner Up Prizes: I will be contacting a handful of people to join me and the winners at The 48 for a cocktail hour and tour of the office. The 48 is a beautiful place to work with a variety of other services and amenities to make your new workspace the best place to get things done. Aside from a great view and location at 1 King West, you can get 24/7 access with Valet Parking. You can use this beautiful big boardroom for important meetings, focus groups, team lunch, or shooting the next episode of your soon to be trending YouTube show.  ?✌? Once you’ve sorted out the details of your new office, you’ll get access to the hotel gym, discount on One King West dining, preferred hotel rates, and more. Need catering? No problem! The internet is fast and each office has a TV you can connect to your phone or laptop to use as a second screen or display monitor.  The kitchen has full amenities including fridge, stove, and sink for entertaining guests,…

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November Sunshine On Your Face ☀️

It’s so nice out today. Left the house early w/ Sean to get the new car sorted. I love the new trucks sunroof and he loves everything else. Still reading The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittal. It’s good, nominated for the Giller Prize which is awarded on Monday. We grabbed breakfast at a cute little spot called Pheasant Table after picking up a couple magazines. I love how cute Emma Stone looks on the cover of Vogue with a pixie. I don’t think she actually cut it but not 100% on that. Last night I got a tattoo! Ok not a real one but a semi-perm that lasts 2 weeks by Inkbox. It’s for the election. Can you guess what it is????! Look closely.  Went cruising in the East end and to the beach at Cherry Point. (Which apparently now being ‘Lower East Side) The sun felt so nice on my face. The leaves are all different colours and falling in the breeze. The water was cool but the air is warm.  I love this city so much. I also love the sunroof? Did I mention that. It’s so great for taking photos out of ?!!! We might go to the cottage for a couple days but if we don’t, won’t mind enjoying the weather downtown. Hopefully you are out soaking up some of this great weather. Looks like it’ll be 10+ degrees most the week! ☀️??

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Money Hacks for Millennials: Have You Saved for a Rainy Day?

Coincidently I am writing this post on a rainy day, and despite always hearing this expression, I didn’t know exactly what it meant. “Save for a rainy day?” more like “save for a rainy three to six months” in case you lose your job, break a limb, or god forbid some other unexpected life moment goes down. Over the past two years I’ve written a few posts with money tips for millennials. If you missed those, let me give you a little background on my situation, in 2005 I returned from Australia, tiny, tanned, and educated. I brought something else home with me tho, a HUGE debt. I owed over $30k in student loans and credit cards!? It was a tragic look at reality when all the bills started rolling in and I’d barely started my first full-time job in Toronto making under $30k/year. It seemed literally impossible to dig out of the hole I was in. I found myself saying “I need cash now ” more often than I wanted too. Having to find quick ways to get cash is difficult and I did struggle. Payday loans such as Fresh Loan were constantly recommended to me for a short term solution. Soon enough, I’d had enough and decided I needed to gey myself in gear. There is no way I was going to live in this debt forever. For many others it’s the same circumstance, they find themselves in a vicious circle, having to take out loans, ending in debt and hardly seeing a way to get out. Small loan lenders like this Norwegian based company, små-lån, can help people finding themselves in the same situation. Before taking out a small loan, you should read every detail carefully and fully understand your repayment methods. Not long after that I…

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Skincare Stuff You’ll Find in My Summer Bag

Summer, yay! ?? Hard to believe it’s almost the of July! ?? Have no fear, there’s still plenty of time to soak up the sunshine, read books in the hammock, and have delicious snacks on the dock. As you know I spend most weekends at the cottage over the summer, this list of skincare stuff isn’t super fancy but it’s a combo of things I was sent to try out (then replaced with my own money) or products I stock up on so there’s one at home and the cottage. I love all things skincare and there are so many other products I want to try. If you’re as passionate about skincare as me, you could become a social marketer. If you don’t know what this is or you’d like to learn more, click here. This post is sponsored by Boxed Water, is a socially conscious packaged-water company re-thinking the way water is sold, shipped and consumed. For every photo posted of Boxed Water with#ReTree on social, they’ll plant two trees. ?? I love the little box, so cute. Ok, here we go! Summer Skincare Stuff I Love 1. WATER – Drink heaps of it. Your skin will thank you. ? Drinking water has some fantastic benefits, it can make your skin look really bright. The Neostrata Enlighten Ultra Brightening Cleanser is a creamy foaming cleanser that also brightens the skin if your skin often looks a little dull. Boxed Water is triple filtered for purity using reverse osmosis, carbon filtration and UV systems and filled in both Michigan & Utah. The entire carton is recyclable and 100% BPA free with 1% of all sales going to reforestation. ? ? ? You can find it at Loblaws or Sobeys in Canada. ?? Keep your skin and immune system healthy by…

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Putting Your Best Face Forward w/ Dr. Lisa Kellett

This year I turned 34, I know, hard to believe! I’ve always had a young youthful spirit and boundless energy, think back to the other weekend when I drew all over my bag for the Ford adventure. Mum had a chuckle when I showed her this photo, sometimes I’m still 8 years old. I have been noticing a few flaws in my skin as I’ve aged and while it’s normal, I wanted to take measures to prevent it from getting worse. A few of my friends suggested an austin cosmetic surgeon but a few months ago I was given the opportunity to learn about Emervel, a soft dermal filler for dealing with fine lines and wrinkles. It’s used most for enhancing lips and minimizing the signs of ageing. For a professional procedure, Nurse Bec, at Injectable Effects, can perform dermal filler treatments on clients looking to regain youthful looking skin. It was good timing because I’ve had more chats about ‘enhancing’ beauty at events over the last year than ever. Earlier this year I shared the Emervel Kissability report with info on plumping up your pout. YouTube Canada gave me some stats about beauty & fashion trends on the rise, three of the top beauty trends are eyelash extensions, eyebrow filler, and lipstick. Canada also ranks 3rd worldwide for ‘lip filler’ which had a big spike last year and continues to grow. According to dermatologist Dr. Lisa Kellett, “Emervel Lips helps achieve a balanced and harmonious look, and, combined with other products in the Emervel line, can give the face a more youthful and rejuvenated appearance. Patients are very satisfied with the natural-looking and long-lasting results.” I made an appt with Dr. Lisa Kellett for a consultation without knowing too much but I was interested in seeing about minimizing smile…

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Travel | Treehouse Glamping in Ontario w/ Glamping Hub

My first trip of the year wasn’t to a sunny destination, it was up north to a tiny little solar-powered treehouse north of Toronto. Glamping Hub invited me to stay at a destination of my choice, so naturally I picked a cool one. Glamping Hub is home to some of the coolest non-traditional camping spots around the world. They’ve got luxury camping available in tree houses, yurts, tipis, camper vans, safari and fancy tents. I’m hoping to explore a few more of their destinations in South/Central Ontario. Here’s my first Glamping Hub experience!  [symple_divider style=”solid” margin_top=”5″ margin_bottom=”5″]

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Beauty | Touched For the Very First Time – I Got a Brazilian!

Yesterday I got my first Brazilian Wax. Yes it hurt, but only for a second. No, it didn’t take long. Yes, I would do it again. As there are many options out there when it comes to caring for down there, doing some research into something as simple as Brazilian bikini could help you make a decision as to what might be best for you. Click here if you’re interested in getting a wax yourseld and you can scroll for details, don’t worry, this post is SFW and not TMI. [symple_divider style=”solid” margin_top=”5″ margin_bottom=”5″] Ok, so I was pretty nervous and didn’t really know what I was getting into here. I’ve never had anything waxed because my hair is quite fair and I’ve never needed to. I parked and got one hour parking not knowing just how quick a wax job is. I arrived at Allure Body bar in the East end (Pape/Danforth) and was greeted by a lovely lady who ready to roll. They were voted Toronto’s BEST waxing spot and have been featured in countless magazines including Elle, Flare, etc. This is my before face. I hopped on the table with bottoms removed and she consulted me about a design. The wax was warm and she asked me to take a deep breath before ripping it off. I screamed. It hurt. The pain was temporary and the whole thing and the entire thing took <10 minutes.

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I’m Going to a Treehouse!

2016 is almost here and I’m feeling excited, finally. The last couple of months my energy has been low and I’ve been spending more time at home recharging. Well, it worked!  I’ve got three trips planned for January and this year will be full of adventure. [symple_divider style=”solid” margin_top=”10″ margin_bottom=”10″] The first on my travels is a short stay at a treehouse North of Toronto via glampinghhub.com. I’ve been working with them to plan a stay at one of their many glamping (glamourous camping) locations in Ontario. I’ve never been one for camping but glamping or a quaint cabin in the woods is right up my alley. This is a new take on the winter cottage, cottage life! We’ve chatted about building a tree house at the cottage in Muskoka and something like would be a DREAM. I can’t wait to take you on my adventures! The Glamping Hub location I’m staying at with April next week is a solar-powered treehouse hidden between trees, located on 6,000 acres of forest and trails. It’s the peaceful escape I’m looking for without being TOO far from the city. I hope that it’s snowy and we spend our days reading by the fire and cooking up hearty, healthy meals. If winter has left by then (you never know these days!), we’ll take advantage of the trails. If you’re keen to book a weekend in a fancy tent, cabin, treehouse, cozy cottage, or some other unique space, check out Canadian Weekend Getaway or other glamping spots around the world at glampinghub.com.

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